Thresher for un-husked maize
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18
The Department of Farm Power and Machinery organised a field demonstration of an axial-flow maize thresher at Bhanmajjra village today. The thresher has been developed by Mr Kulvinder Singh, Assistant Agricultural Engineer, Mr Jaskaran Singh, Agricultural Engineer and Dr S.S. Ahuja, Senior Agricultural Engineer, in collaboration with Amar Agricultural Implements, Ludhiana.

The machine has been developed after modifying the axial-flow sunflower thresher. The sunflower threshers are currently lying idle with the farmers since the area under the crop has shrunk.

This objective of the demonstration was to propagate maize under the diversification programme being undertaken by the Punjab Government under the contract-farming system.

Short-term courses in cooking, baking
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 18
A series of short duration courses for girls, young women and children began in the College of Home Science, Punjab Agricultural University, here yesterday. A four-day cooking and baking course had nearly 40 participants, who were given training in making idli, sambhar, coconut chutney and almond crush pudding. Dr S.K. Mann, Head of the Department, gave a lecture on ‘balanced diet’. She said junk foods such as noodles, potato wafers and aerated drinks should be avoided as much as possible. She insisted upon all participants to carry their tiffins if they go on some tour. She said food in roadside dhabas should be avoided, especially in summers.

Dr C.K. Hira, Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition and organiser of the course, said during the next three days the participants would be imparted training in making chat papdi, jal jeera, fruit cake, sonth, sweet and sour vegetables, manchurian, coconut castle, pizza, burger, plum punch and triffle pudding.

Dr Hira said the major attraction this summer was a four-day cooking course for children of age group 11 to 15 years. She said this course beginning from June 24 would involve very little cooking, but lot of creativity for children. They would be taught how to make sandwitches, patties, grilled toast, cold coffee, veg omellete, bhel puri, mango and banana shake, tea, hot coffee, veg noodles, mango delight, sprouted dal chat, lemon rice, cheese salad and fruit punch. She said on the concluding day she would also deliver a lecture on balanced diet.

The Department of Human Development and Sociology is also organising a summer workshop for children in which they would be trained in first aid safety measures, cooking, crafty ideas, fitness measures, painting and other activities. Ms R. Gulati, an organiser, said the workshop would begin from June 23 to 27 for children of age group 8 to 12 years.

The Department of Family Resource Management is also organising a five-day course in which women and girls would be trained in flower making, flower arrangement, glass etching, glass painting, pot decoration in different styles, table setting, napkin folding and stone art. Dr Rupa Bakshi, said courses would begin from June 30 to July 5.

Taiwan scientists visit PAU
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18
The Deputy Director-General (Research) of Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC), Taiwan, Dr Shanmaga Sundaram and Molecular Biologist, AVRDC, Ms Chen Huie Mei visited Punjab Agricultural University to discuss the progress of the seed village programme and research activities of the Mungbean project with senior scientists of PAU.

Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, PAU and chief coordinator of the project, said the main aim of the project was to introduce short-duration summer mungbean in cereal-based cropping system for increasing farmers’ income and nutritional status of the masses.

Dr G.S. Nanda, Director of Research, said PAU had recently released a variety, SML-668, of mungbean which is of short duration, bold seeded, synchronous in maturity and can be grown both in summer and kharif seasons. Keeping in view the need for seed multiplication, seed village programme was introduced at seven locations in the state, he said. He also said about 40 quintals of seed were distributed free of cost among 266 farmers.

Dr Gurdip Singh, Head, Department of Plant Pathology, who has been actively involved in the project, has listed two sets of conditions under which mungbean is planted during summer i.e. after potatoes and after the harvest of wheat.

He suggested to sow SML-668 under good ‘wattar’ conditions and with seed-cum-fertilizer drill for achieving proper plant stand and also to maintain purity of the seed.

Dr Balbir Singh, MD, Punseed, stressed that proper weed control, irrigation schedule and plant protection measures were very important to obtain potential yields.

Dr Sundaram appreciated the work done by scientists and said the sowing of SML in rice-wheat system would help in crop diversification, improving soil health and nutrition. After studying the research and visiting farmers’ fields, he suggested to concentrate more on mungbean yellow mosaic virus. Seed purity was another aspect, he said, and efforts should be made to extend the cultivation of SML-668 in other adjoining states also.

The other scientists associated with the project are Dr H.S. Sekhon, senior agronomist-cum-incharge, pulses section, Dr J.S. Brar, senior pulse breeder, Dr B.S. Kooner, senior entomologist (pulses ), Dr T.S. Bains, breeder (pulses), Dr D.K. Grover, socio-economics and Dr Kiran Bains, Assistant Professor in Food and Nutrition.

First National Integration Camp gets underway
Tribune Reporters

Koom Kalan, June 18
Punjab’s first NCC National Integration Camp (NIC) got underway in this backward ‘Bet’ area of the district here today. As many as 500 cadets are participating in the camp which was formally inaugurated by Brig D.S. Dhillon, Deputy Director-General, NCC Directorate, covering Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh here today. Present on the occasion were Mr Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, MLA.

Addressing the cadets, 400 of whom are from all over the country and about 20 ANOs and commanding officers of different units of Army, Brig Dhillon emphasised on the necessity for every individual to concentrate on one’s goal and objectives in life. He also lauded the efforts of the MLA for making elaborate arrangements to make the camp a great success. The camp will continue till June 27.

He said the participation of 100 cadets from Punjab was unsure till the end since the district treasury officer was reluctant in releasing the funds till yesterday evening. He hoped that state government would be able to sort out the matter.

Brig Ajay Pahwa gave detailed information regarding the norms followed by DDG Recruitment (Punjab and JK) to all cadets who have come to attend the camp from different parts of the country. He added that the eligible candidates from the NCC would be shortlisted during an Army recruitment camp to be held at the camp on June 19.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, Cadet P. Srinivas Reddy from Andhra Pradesh, said he was lucky enough for having developed a friendship with 15 camp mates from Delhi and Karnataka. We are having a good time and will keep in touch even after the camp is over, he affirmed.

Cadet Pintu Sahu from West Bengal said he was feeling a bit relieved due to the lower temperature in Punjab as compared to West Bengal.

Manipur’s T.H. Baby praised the environment of the camp while Kerala’s Bhaskar and Parveen Shinde from Maharashtra felt proud on visiting the land of the martial Punjabis and were eagerly looking forward to the field trips to the various important landmarks of the state.

Though this National Integration Camp was very well organised but there were discordant notes from girl NCC cadets. About 150 girls are attending the camp who have been provided with accommodation at Doraha. Since the boys are putting up in Koom Kalan, the girls were unhappy because they could not carry out proper rehearsals for the cultural items which are to be performed jointly by boys and girls.

Forms available for PAU kids’ centre
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18
The College of Home Science, PAU, has invited applications for admission to children’s Day Care Centre and Laboratory Nursery School of the college. Dr S.K. Mann, Dean, College of Home Science, said for admission to Day Care Centre, the child should be toilet-trained and two years of age as on July 1. For admission to Laboratory Nursery School, the child should be two years and nine months of age as on August 1. The last date for admission is June 20. The interested parents can collect application forms from the office of Dean, College of Home Science, against cash payment of Rs 100 only.

She said the emphasis at both centres would be to stimulate and facilitate the overall development of the child.